COVID-19 UPDATE: COVID Safe Plan
Dear Members,
As businesses prepare for this coming weekend, now is a good time to review your COVIDSafe Plans and to make sure you have a system in place to record visitor contact details.
It is mandatory for every Victorian business with on-site operations to have a COVIDSafe Plan. They must record the first name and phone number of all visitors who are on-site for more than 15 minutes, along with the date and time of their attendance. These records should be kept for 28 days.
Random spot checks are occurring in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria to ensure businesses are meeting these obligations.
Keeping good records allows the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) to contact tracers to quickly identify positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and their close contacts in the event of an outbreak.
Businesses are strongly encouraged to use QR codes to support contact tracing, rather than a manual system. The Victorian Government QR Code Service is simple to access and set up and is free for all Victorian businesses, organisations, clubs and events. Registering is easy – they can create an account on the Coronavirus website. The record-keeping requirement applies to anyone attending a venue for longer than 15 minutes, which may include staff, maintenance and delivery workers, as well as customers.
If a visitor is reluctant to give their details, businesses should explain that the purpose of keeping records is to help with contact tracing. Recent outbreaks have highlighted the importance of contact tracing in stopping the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). A new poster encouraging visitors to register (see below) is available along with other signage and a visitor and patron log.
All retail trade businesses must apply a density quotient of one person per two square metres.
Face masks must be carried at all times and are strongly recommended whenever it is not possible to maintain 1.5 metres distance from others. Face masks are mandatory in large retail stores over 2000 sqm, supermarkets, shopping centres, indoor markets, in taxis and rideshares, on public transport, at airports, on domestic flights to and from Victoria, and in hospitals and care facilities. Businesses can refuse entry or service to a customer if they are not wearing a face mask in settings where they are required unless they have a lawful reason not to wear one.
Please help Victoria to Stay Safe and Stay Open this weekend.
More information is available at coronavirus.vic.gov.au, or by calling Business Victoria on 13 22 15.
Kind regards,
Brendan Tohill | Chief Executive Officer
VANA – Victorian Authorised Newsagents Association
